Alexandra the Beautiful..

A.M.Shooter · Feb 23, 2012

Hello All,
I am new to the forum, this is my first post. I'm looking for any and all c&c. Anything you'd like to offer is much appreciated. What's your take on these?
Thanks in advance!

oldmacman · Feb 23, 2012

Yep, definitely beautiful. I like 2 and 3, but I don't think the tilt is adding anything to number 2.

jowensphoto · Feb 23, 2012

WOW! What a natural.

These are decent portraits. My best suggestion is to try shooting a little wider. The last is the best, in that regard.

If you ever plan to print and frame, keep in mind that you need room around the photo as not to have a strange appearance once inside the frame. Does that make sense? LOL

Joey_Ricard · Feb 23, 2012

Yeh, she's a cutie - other than the odd framing in a couple, these are real nice.

A.M.Shooter · Feb 23, 2012

oldmacman said:
Yep, definitely beautiful. I like 2 and 3, but I don't think the tilt is adding anything to number 2.

Thank you! I'm biased, so it's hard to pick a favorite for me. Thanks for the feedback on the 2nd, I was trying out different angles. I'm kinda there with you, I don't think it's adding much either, but I wanted it to be a little different from the rest. Thanks again!

A.M.Shooter · Feb 23, 2012

jowensphoto said:
WOW! What a natural.

These are decent portraits. My best suggestion is to try shooting a little wider. The last is the best, in that regard.

If you ever plan to print and frame, keep in mind that you need room around the photo as not to have a strange appearance once inside the frame. Does that make sense? LOL

Joey_Ricard said:
Yeh, she's a cutie - other than the odd framing in a couple, these are real nice.

Thank you both! Jowens, she really is a natural.. and only 9yrs! Thanks for the suggestion, I suppose my eye likes things cropped in tight, so I'll definitely open that up.

& Joey.. can you elaborate more on "odd framing?" Is it because they're so tight that it throws the composition off to you? Would love further feedback.

Derrel · Feb 23, 2012

She's very cute. The technical values need a bit more work though, like the way the highlights are burned out on her cheek and hand in the first and fourth photos...the sunlight needs to be modified a bit by bringing in some reflector fill lighting, so that the shadowed side of her is brought "up" in value, and the back- or side-lighting is not so different. You need some kind of reflector to make natural sunlight more-attractive for photography...a white bedsheet...a couple of folded-open pizza boxes spray-painted white, or covered with glued-on aluminum foil....anything...just something to add some fill-light.

Something tells me this is your daughter or niece. I agree with jowens above--you could shoot a bit "wider"...some of these are a bit too tight on the framing around her.

jowensphoto · Feb 23, 2012

I shoot tight too! It's one of those things that is such a simple fix, but such a hard habit to break.

This is what works for me: Compose the shot how you would normally frame it. If your using a zoom lens, zoom out to get some space. If using a prime lens, take a couple steps backward. It takes a little trial/error to figure out exactly how far you need to get back, but you'll benefit in the end!

Edited to add: Remember that you can always crop in (to a reasonable extent) in post, but you can't add more photo.

2WheelPhoto · Feb 23, 2012

she's beautiful. off camera lighting may have made her pop and filled in some of the shadows in many of the pics

A.M.Shooter · Feb 23, 2012

Derrel said:
She's very cute. The technical values need a bit more work though, like the way the highlights are burned out on her cheek and hand in the first and fourth photos...the sunlight needs to be modified a bit by bringing in some reflector fill lighting, so that the shadowed side of her is brought "up" in value, and the back- or side-lighting is not so different. You need some kind of reflector to make natural sunlight more-attractive for photography...a white bedsheet...a couple of folded-open pizza boxes spray-painted white, or covered with glued-on aluminum foil....anything...just something to add some fill-light.

Something tells me this is your daughter or niece. I agree with jowens above--you could shoot a bit "wider"...some of these are a bit too tight on the framing around her.

Derrel,
Thank you for your feedback!! I've been told before that I could use a reflector because I tend to really like the back lighting.. maybe a bit too much?? These were shot around 3:30 in the afternoon on an extremely sunny day.. the only time I had available. So I just had to go with it. Those are amazing suggestions for reflectors, but I plan to pick up one and a stand asap. If I can get my fill light corrected, and back off the close framing, I think these would be much better quality then, wouldn't you agree?

And yes, this is my daughter, a complete natural in front of the camera.. at age 9. It's a little scary. The first photo was shot in the dead of winter last year with a Sony point and shoot. The pocket kind, lol. The rest were shot with a Nikon D3100.. my first "real" DSLR and kit lens.

Thank you again for taking the time to stop and look and give your feedback. I've just started my own business, and I'm very interested to see how other's view my photography.. especially those with much more experience than I have.

luvmyfamily · Feb 23, 2012

I love the sideways angles and have done it several times when shooting portraits. She is a beauty!

A.M.Shooter · Feb 23, 2012

jowensphoto said:
I shoot tight too! It's one of those things that is such a simple fix, but such a hard habit to break.

This is what works for me: Compose the shot how you would normally frame it. If your using a zoom lens, zoom out to get some space. If using a prime lens, take a couple steps backward. It takes a little trial/error to figure out exactly how far you need to get back, but you'll benefit in the end!

Edited to add: Remember that you can always crop in (to a reasonable extent) in post, but you can't add more photo.

Great advice! Thank you. And you're right, I think it's going to take A LOT of practice to break that habit, but I'll definitely be more conscious of it from now on. And you're very right, I can always crop in.. but there's no adding more photo. I shoot with a zoom and prime, so that's going to be a fun part in and of itself to train myself to get away!

2WheelPhoto said:
she's beautiful. off camera lighting may have made her pop and filled in some of the shadows in many of the pics

Thank you! Can you make some suggestions for me for off camera lighting? I've been looking at an SB-700..? I hadn't thought about much else, so any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for your feedback!

A.M.Shooter · Feb 23, 2012

luvmyfamily said:
I love the sideways angles and have done it several times when shooting portraits. She is a beauty!

Thank you! I do like them as well.. but I do notice sometimes the photo would have been much more dramatic just left right side up!

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback!

Derrel · Feb 23, 2012

Here's whatcha need to do. head on down to Home Depot. Buy some white PVC pipe segments and four elbow joints to make a rectangular frame that measures about 42 inches wide by 72 inches tall...more or less a door-sized frame made of two short and two long PVC pipe pieces. Then, head on over to Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft at 208 Collier Drive, Governors Crossing, and buy some white, rip-stop nylon to make one side of a fabric that will be attached to the frame using whatever style of attachment you want to use: elastic corners, or a curtain-rod type sewn seam, etc,etc.

(Then, on the way home, stop at KFC and buy some delicious popcorn chicken!!!!)

THis frame can be held in place by using two long horse shoe-shaped pieces of bent steel rod as "turf spikes", and one, or two long steel or aluminum rods used as "propping rods". Alternately, two identically-sized frames can be clipped, wired, clamped, or lashed together at the top, and the two used like an A-frame house, upright, or layed down on the ground like a "sawhorse", OR lashed together at three points on the tall axis, and used as a standing, upright "Vee" reflector.

Two or three or four of these can turn natural backlighting into a huge "wall of light". While at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft, you could also see if they have some wide rolls of silver lame fabric,. to make a combo white/silver reflector.